Ugly on the outside, beautiful on the inside

PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) — The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest in California celebrated the inner beauty and imperfections of man’s best friend on Friday.

The pooches — many of which are adoptable or previously adopted — faced off in a red carpet walk and “Faux Paw Fashion Show,” organizers said. The contestants are judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction.

A blind Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix named Sweepee Rambo bested 16 other homely hounds in last year’s competition and walked away with $1,500, a trophy and a flight to New York for media appearances with her owner, Jason Wurtz. The then-17-yearold champion proved that third time’s the charm after falling short in the competition twice before.

By celebrating inner beauty, organizers said they hope to showcase that all dogs, regardless of physical appearance, can be lovable additions to any family.

Contest rules prevent owners from intentionally altering their animals to enhance appearance for the purpose of the contest. These pooches are celebrated for their natural ugliness, organizers said.

Besides the main crown, the Spirit Award is presented to a dog and owner who have overcome obstacles or provide service to their community, organizers said.

The competition has been held in Petaluma for more than 50 years.

Martha, a Neapolitan mastiff, owned Shirley Zindler, of Sebastopol, Calif., was the eventual winner.

The Associated Press Peanut, a 2-year-old mutt is held by owner Holly Chandler after winning the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif., in 2016. A Neapolitan mastiff, named Martha, was this year’s winner.